Massachusetts Institute of Technology Admission
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Undergraduate Program
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Application

The Facts

MIT (less of a tongue ‘tie-er’) is arguably the most prestigious research institution in the nation, if not the world.  It is located in the pristine college town of Cambridge, Massachusetts (also home to Harvard) and is home to approximately 4,069 undergraduate students and about 6,228 graduate students. The school is definitely an academic pressure cooker, and students take their academics incredibly seriously. The school’s forte is, of course, science and engineering, but the core curriculum does require students take course in the arts and humanities, writing, history, and even physical education. Some of the most popular majors include electrical engineering, computer science, computer science, engineering, management science, biology, and mechanical engineering. Obviously, if you are into the liberal arts, this would not be the school for you.

Competition is fierce when it comes to admission to MIT.  Last year over 10,550 students applied and a mere 1,735 were actually accepted; of those, 1,019 matriculated, which illustrates the sheer popularity and prestige of MIT. The admitted students had an average combined SAT score ranging from a whopping 1410 to an even more impressive 1560, and an average comprehensive ACT score ranging from 30 to 34.  Over 97% of those admitted were ranked in the top 10% of their high school graduating class with an average high school GPA of 3.9. 

MIT has an outstanding faculty, many of whom are the top researchers and minds in their respective fields.  Even freshmen are given the opportunity to study with top professors, and many well-loved professors have cult-like followings. The school has a fantastic 6:1 student to faculty ratio, and most classes are held in hands-on lab settings where students often assist with important research.  An added benefit; students are permitted to cross-register at Harvard and Wellesley, and are able to combine both a bachelor and a masters degree in only five years, which has become the norm recently.

The Social Scene

Although students are incredibly busy with academics, they do clear some time on the weekends to have a bit of fun.  There are fraternities and sororities, but students prefer to indulge in more quirky forms of entertainment, such as the yearly Steer Roast, where a massive hunk of meat roasts over an open fire for two days while the dorms throw rowdy constant parties.  There are many bizarre student-run clubs and organizations at the school, including a glass-blowing club, a bell-ringing club, a Quiz Team, a caving club and a Solar Electric Vehicle team.

The school actually has a large number of varsity sports offered, and MIT is a member of the NCAA Division III.  However, students usually don’t show up in large numbers to games, and sports are definitely not a big draw at the school.

The dating scene isn’t as geek-ridden as one might imagine; there are quite a few good-looking guys and girls with powerful brains to match.

What’s Good

“The academics don’t get any better than at MIT.  The professors are some of the smartest minds in the entire world.”

“The housing is great and quite plentiful, which is nice, as housing in Cambridge is really expensive.”

“People here are incredible.  It’s amazing to be surrounded by so much brilliance.”

What’s Bad

“If you aren’t a genius, you are considered not worth talking to.  It’s pretty awful.”

“There is a huge sense of elitism here.  You have to work your way up in the ranks to feel like someone slightly important.”

“There are a lot of really unhappy people here that just can’t take the pressure, myself included.”

Let the Penn Group help you apply to college.

• View our services
• Send a request now
• Read articles about applying to college